Stretchy mozzarella and sprinkles of Parmesan sit atop my work of art: homemade lasagna.
When you’re time-crunched (and who isn’t around Christmas), homemade lasagna fits into any schedule. It’s delectable, decadent, and perfect for any occasion.
I prepared my lasagna one day ahead of when I needed it. Isn’t it nice to be able to enjoy your extended family’s conversation, instead of rushing about in the kitchen? I think so, too! And to make things even easier for myself, I served my lasagna on very pretty, red paper plates. That way, as we all rushed out the door after eating dinner to attend my daughter’s ballet performance, I had no dishes waiting for me when we returned home.
This delectable, decadent lasagna will wow your dinner guests. Period.
Cook’s Note: I prefer Ronzoni’s Oven Ready Lasagna over the other brands, but that’s just my preference. I used Ragu’s vegetable medley marinara (smooth, not chunky is best, especially if kids will be eating it). Use your favorite spaghetti sauce. I added a couple ingredients to the lasagna recipe on the back on the Ronzoni lasagna box.
Luscious Lasagna
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Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Brown meat, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Drain fat. Add minced garlic, stir. Add meat mixture to a bowl with spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce. Stir, and set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 2 beaten eggs, and the next three spices. Stir well.
Spray baking pan with Pam or other non-stick cooking spray. I used a 9×13 (3 inches deep) Pyrex pan. Start by ladling ¾ cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay 3 oven-ready lasagna noodles on top. Put 1/3 of ricotta mixture, 1/3 of meat mixture, and sprinkle ¾ cup of mozzarella over the layer. Repeat two more times (lasagna noodles, meat mixture, mozzarella). Doing this, I use 9 total oven-ready Ronzoni lasagna noodles. The largest portion of mozzarella is sprinkled on the top. For added taste, sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top of the last layer of mozzarella cheese. Be sure to cover all the edges of the lasagna noodles with sauce.
Bake, covered with foil, at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes (my lasagna took 60 minutes to bake). Uncover and continue baking the lasagna for about 5 minutes, so that the cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. Makes 12 servings.
If you want to make it a day ahead, prepare as above. Do not bake. Cover the lasagna with plastic wrap, then put foil over top. Refrigerate the lasagna. When you pull it out the next day, bake as above. What is your favorite way to make lasagna?
Clacked by Kelly Estes
on Dec 17, 2009 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
Dear Kelly,
As someone who is married to an Italian man, I understand about lasagne; spaghetti, and all the things that go with cooking for Italians. They can be hard-to-please and I have been reminded more than once by his grandmother that “good sauce must cook for at least 4-6 hours” LOL.
It is a wonderful idea to make ahead and a great tip you gave your readers. This gives the sauce and spices time to blend, and the flavor is always better. I have fooled my husband more than I care to admit but preparing my lasagne ahead and refrigerating it for 24 hours.
I am enjoying your ideas and writing about food. Thank you for sharing and for the wonderful ideas and tips.
Lasagna is such a winner of a fall/winter meal! Plus it can be frozen for leftovers and taste great when you enjoy it again a week later or more. This looks very good and the major thing that we do differently is sometimes we’ll put 2/3 ground beef and 1/3 sausage for an extra level of flavor.
Looks good, and easy to make. That idea about mixing sausage and beef sounds really good, too.
This lasagna is too die for! I am so happy to have the recipe so I can make it for my husband and son!
Sounds great, quick, “easy-to-save-for-lunches” lasagna! I am Italian and can tell you this looks scrumptous! Great job!
This is my favorite recipe:
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 (29 0z) can diced tomatoes
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
12 dry lasagna noodles
2 eggs, beaten
1 pint part skim ricotta cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion and garlic; drain fat. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook noodles according to directions if you didn’t buy oven ready.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt.
4. Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 9x13in baking dish. Cover noodles with ½ ricotta mixture, ½ of the mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. Top with the remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over top.
5. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Notes- I always buy oven ready noodles, which saves so much time. I also use only kosher salt when making this recipe. I can’t claim credit for making it up lol.
Let me tell you that simmering the sauce and meat together makes a HUGE difference in the taste of your lasagna! This recipe is highly variable too, you can exchange or add plenty of herbs in here. I also say you can never go wrong with a little extra cheese!